Sylva in UK for Medical Treatment, Will Return to Face EFCC—Statement

…Aide: Coup Allegations Have Morphed to Financial Crimes

Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, who was recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is currently in the United Kingdom undergoing medical treatment.

This was confirmed in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, who assured that Sylva would honour the EFCC’s invitation as soon as his medical check-up is completed.

The clarification came in response to the EFCC’s public declaration that the former minister was wanted. Bokoru described the move as a calculated attempt to stir public outrage and a continuation of what he termed “an orchestrated campaign of hostility” against Sylva.

He criticised the anti-graft agency for what he called a “digital proclamation” lacking formal communication, arguing that the announcement was part of a coordinated political onslaught designed to tarnish his principal’s image.

“It is curious that what was once whispered in political circles as a ‘coup matter’ has now morphed into allegations of financial impropriety,” Bokoru stated. “The same shadowy forces that once sought to criminalise Sylva politically have reinvented themselves as fiscal crusaders.”

While admitting he had not been in direct contact with the former minister, Bokoru said that Sylva is known for his respect for lawful institutions and due process, and would return to Nigeria to meet with the EFCC once his ongoing medical evaluation in the UK is concluded.

Bokoru also dismissed claims linking Sylva to financial misconduct in connection with a refinery project, describing the venture as “legitimate, transparent, and verifiable, with traceable documentation.”

He further accused unnamed political actors of desperately attempting to smear Sylva’s reputation. “The persecution of Chief Sylva has become a theatre of the absurd,” he said. “The desperation to sully his name knows no restraint—its sponsors are zealous, its intentions transparent, and its malice unmistakable.”

Concluding, Bokoru maintained that Sylva had “clean hands,” insisting that the former minister had not diverted public funds or violated the trust of Nigerians. “Truth may be delayed, but it remains immutable,” he declared. “Those orchestrating this campaign of defamation will fail, for light must always outshine darkness.”